1 8 A GARDEN DIARY 



at the upper portion of the copse near the house, 

 runs somewhat steeply downhill to its lower end. 

 Thirdly there is the "long" grass walk, which 

 passing first along the last named, is eventually 

 to traverse the whole of the lower portion of the 

 copse, a distance of some six hundred yards, 

 crossing as it does so the region of the tallest 

 bracken, emerging for a while upon a gravel 

 walk, which skirts the fence of our nursery- 

 garden, thence, through another stretch of copse, 

 and between two tall heather banks, into a fresh 

 tract of birches and sweet chestnuts, till it finally 

 attains the gate opening out upon the little com- 

 mon at the top. 



One somewhat serious problem underlies these, 

 as indeed all similar little enterprises. How far, 

 one asks oneself, may the natural conformation 

 of any given piece of ground be legitimately modi- 

 fied ? the most difficult, in my opinion, of the 

 many small problems which confront the gardener. 

 The lamentable declivities, the yet more terrible 

 acclivities, which abound in a certain type of 

 garden we all know ; objects calculated to bring 

 the blush of embarrassment to all but a hardened 

 visitor's cheek. Like other adornments it is less 

 their artificiality than their deplorable lack of Art 

 that so distresses us. These indeed are sad 

 warnings, and, remembering them, it is well to 

 misdoubt our own judgment, and to ask our- 

 selves whether it were not better to abstain 



